Foxer55

I'm a Systems Engineer by trade, that is, the kind that looks across the entire life cycle of a program or product. I find he idea of an A8 tempting but one of my thoughts is, how does it affect the entire life of the car I'm buying.

I selected the M7 for my Z06 because, while it will be my car for the time I own it, how will it affect me and the car in the future? Will it affect the appeal and resale value of the car? Will it affect the real value of the car. What if the A8 turns out to be a loser in its operating environment, a liability that needs constant attention? Nobody can answer that question yet and will not be able to answer it for a few years. I know that the M7 will certainly be less risk in the field than the A8 because its a straight forward solution. I see more risk in the A8 and I am not willing to take that much risk with my hard gotten $100,000.

I also know some who have gone automatic and they are not happy with track performance of the C6 A6. If I got the automatic I would expect performance comparable to a real track car and I don't expect that from Corvette - not yet.

Ultimately, as I look across my use of this car as a pleasure car, a show car, and a track car, I just think the A8 is a risk. And it wouldn't surprise me to find out that, 10 or 20 years from now, either me or the next owner will find he has a collector Z06 with a prized M7.

BOBSZ06

I'll be going with the A8 for the reasons you didn't mention:
1. Broader appeal to more people on resale;
2. Much easier to shift compared to the M7;
3. Just as fast to shift in Manual compared to the M7;
4. Can be manually shifted just like the M7;
5. Can be driven in Manual or Auto mode unlike the M7.

For these reasons I think the A8 is a big winner over the M7, and will be easier to sell if I wish. The A8 has been thoroughly tested by GM during its design and production and is being used and received by Stingray users very well.

Just IMHO, and to each their own!

badhabit_wb

You both have good points. I'm struggling with the decision for health reasons as well. If it were next year I'd probably be a lot more inclined to go with the a8 but i'm leaning towards the m7 as well. I honestly think the a8 will be great but a lot can happen when several thousand owners start using them the first year. There are always problems when a new product is released. Sometimes they are minor and sometimes they are major. Hopefully the a8 will be all it's hyped up to be but if it's not i'd hate to end up with a lemon.

docf

This is ridiculous! By the post you would think the A8 was new form of technology introduced to the automotive world. It's an automatic with two more gears than the past year and one more gear than my MB seven speed with paddles on my SL. Nether of which are problematic.i

Jimbob26

This will elicit some negative comments, but IMO the M7 is the only way to go. I have the M7 in my 2014 C7 Z51, and if I upgrade to Z06 (hard for me to justify...) will also get the M7, for the reasons you stated as well as the fact that the Corvette is a sports car, and sports car means rowing the gear is part of the fun. Forget Porsche and Ferrari and their insistence on the dual clutches because they are marginally faster; the A8 is marginally faster than the M7, and the A6 is also faster in launch control mode. Makes no difference to me, as I want to shift the gears. One of my best buds got a C7 with the A6, and although he likes it is now upping to the Z06 with the 7M. He drove my car, we drove the manuals at Spring Mountain a week ago in class, and now he's making the jump. I'm sure there will be someone to love his A6 trade-in, but if it's a sports car, for me it's got to be manual transmission.

I had an A8 on my BMW X5 and the thing was constantly shifting gears, to the point it became annoying. I hope the new GM A8 is better, else there will be many unhappy campers.

dcher

I agree. GM has produced a few automatics over the year. I fully expect them to get it right. Don't forget they are also using a new engine in the car and quite a few other parts not found on the C7. I say get the transmission you want and have a little faith in GM as they have a lot riding on the car.

Mufflerbearing

My 07 Lexus LS460 came with what was touted as the world's first eight speed automatic in a production car and although it certainly wasn't race oriented it has turned out to be a very reliable and trouble free tranny.

C7_Z06

My personal track-related experience since I tried both on the track is that I prefer the M7 Z51 on the track (HPDE road course and autocross events) more than the A6 Z51.... don't read it out of context since the auto still performs well on the C7, but for me it'll be the M7 always because of better independent control based on my preference & experience... so M7 again on the Z06. Therefore be glad that GM offers a tranny choice on the Z06... win win.

heavychevy

I think the only way the M7 holds more value is if not many of them are produced and it's more of a rarity. We all know GM will make pretty much as many of these as they can sell. Auto's may be a dime a dozen. However like you said, if the A8 proves unreliable, it could hurt the value as well.

Other than that a low mileage pristine A8 should hold the most value given the demographic and intended use of the average buyer, which is not performance or track related. Assuming it's reliable, there will be, at any time, more potential buyers for the A8.

What will really hurt the value though is this ZORA........ That will hurt them both. IMO.

OriginalCFmember

You better drive the A8 before you choose it over the 7spd.
I have driven the A8 and it is TERRIBLE outside of upshifts left in DRIVE.
The 7spd is the only choice.

WA 2 FST

This is my concern. It's great when left in D, but is like a typical, late-model Auto when using the paddles.

I'll just have to drive one before making a decision.

My A6 in my CTS-V is great at WOT upshifts in D and "Sport Mode." If in manual mode, even though it has been tuned a little to improve shift speed, it is not as quick as if left in D. Part-throttle upshifts/downshifts, and transitions b/w various throttle inputs, leave something to be desired.

Not saying the A8 is like the A6... but I just don't know til I drive it. I'm sorry to hear your experience was not positive.

heavychevy

Preaching to the choir man. Not a chance in the world I'd buy an Auto. Or DCT (if it were available) for that matter. Not for a Corvette. Auto's are for DD's and casual cars the wife will drive, for me.

BOBSZ06

Here is some info. from someone that has driven both the A6 and A8. And he didn't like that A6.....BUT the A8...Ah yes!!




http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/20/2...ew-quick-spin/

When he reviewed the C7 for the first time, our own Michael Harley had these, not-minced words to say about the existing 6AT:

"The traditional six-speed automatic seemed to extinguish the C7's performance edge. I found it softer, slower and more lethargic (even paddle-initiated shifts had annoying lag). Even though it was every bit as quick in terms of outright acceleration, the gearbox took much of the excitement out of the driving experience."

Clearly there was room to improve.

Thankfully, I can now report that the improvements have been made, and that the new, General Motors-designed Hydra-Matic 8L90 is up to the task of shifting one of the best sports cars in the world. Take heed, 65-percenters.



"Down to it then. Executing shifts in manual mode feels dual-clutch quick, for sure. The Chevy guys were puffing out their chests talking about the speed of this 8AT versus Porsche's PDK, and the truth is that the reaction time from paddle-pull to upshift is right there. At least, as that's what my imperfect human brain can suss out – any advantage to the quickest dual clutches I've yanked would require a machine to judge."

WA 2 FST

Thanks Bob!

dwward

From a purely mechanical function point of view, I would agree the risk of the M7 is close to zero. it's bullet proof. If you love sticks (I used too) get the M7 and you will never regret it.

The mechanical risk of the A8? Not much more. This isn't GM's first automatic or even their first paddle shifting auto. The A8 represents the natural development progression from the A6, and any problems are likely to be easily fixed software problems. Absolute worse case scenario is replacing the A8 with it's successor. And while this replacement wouldn't be cheap, it's also wouldn't be expensive retaliative to the price of the car and the odds of it coming to replacement are also close to zero.

For all the reason's Bob gives, the A8 is the better choice for the life of the car.

Each and every year, the manual transmission gets closer and closer to extinction. Some may not like it, but it's true none the less.

/Don

BOBSZ06

Here is an interesting tidbit from another forum...Stingrayforums.com

Mike Furman of Criswell Chev. states....

"I will still stick to the 4,000 2015 Z06's produced as my educated guess...let's see how it plays out...and by the way, as the calls I make to my list of Z06 deposits...85% want the new 8spd Auto trans which is staggering!!! "

Mike Furman
301 212 4420 desk direct
Criswell Chevrolet
Www.corvettefurman.com


Don't belittle the new Z06 with the A8, as it will be a very favorable car in the future just based upon the orders being taken by one of the Top 5 Corvette sellers in the US.

WA 2 FST

if it truly operates so incrementally close to a DCT, then it will be awesome. For someone like me... I will wait until 2nd MY before I take the plunge.

One reason the A8 is intriguing to me is that I have no plans to sell my TT C5 and its a stick... so it would be something different.

CitationZ06@yahoo

I am a M7 guy but don't forget about the tuners they will rebuild and reprogram some A8s to make them strong and fast. As they put the A8 in the truck the price will come down on a rebuild.

CaryBob

I've been having a ball with the M7 in the Stingray after thee years with the A6 in the Grand Sport. I did not find the A6 "terrible" at all, but agree the manual is more viscerally satisfying when the road ahead of me is clear. But once a week I find myself driving half a mile four feet at a time, a circumstance that only a masochist would insist on experiencing with a clutch. The M7 is fun on open roads, not so much in heavy traffic. So the choice depends on personal circumstances. Since I'll be driving the Z06 every day every chance I get (and since 75 year old knees are a little creaky) convenience rules my choice.

badhabit_wb

CaryBob I think I would feel the same satisfaction with the m7 that you're talking about. I like in the country outside of Louisburg so unless I drive out your way I don't see a lot of bumper to bumper traffic. I'm driving a stingray with the auto next Wednesday morning but unless I change my mind I'll go with the M7. Now I just have to figure out how to get the roof to match the rest of the car. lol